Zabarnyi with Ukraine: few fireworks, plenty of impact, and that’s enough | OneFootball

World Cup Qualifying Match (Europe zone), in Baku: Azerbaijan 1–1 Ukraine. A frustrating draw for Serhiy Rebrov's men, who dominated possession for long periods but were punished on one of the few opposing transitions. At the heart of the Ukrainian plan, Ilya Zabarnyi held the right axis of the defense.

Ilya Zabarnyi — Clean reading, measured build-up, depth control

Positioned on the right side of the central defense, Zabarnyi's performance can be divided into two phases: securing depth, then initiating low-risk ball exits.

Without the ball: managing the axis and the opponent's long play

Azerbaijan sought the outside-inside interval and second balls. Zabarnyi responded with "anticipation" defense: early drop-offs to cover cross runs, body oriented open to maintain the angle on the ball carrier and the corridor. Result: very few situations conceded from his zone.

His clearances were used as relief valves during the opponent's high-pressure phases, and his rare ground interventions were made far from the box, a sign of successful preventive defense. Also noted is the attentive monitoring of the right corridor when the full-back advanced: well-coordinated shifts, closing the passing line to the half-space.

Collective impact

His stability allowed the defensive midfielder to defend higher and the full-back to push forward. When Ukraine was under pressure, Zabarnyi "extinguished" the depth and forced Azerbaijan to play in front of him. The conceded goal came from a sequence where Ukraine lost the first pressure and found themselves retreating: his individual responsibility is not involved, the error is mainly structural (time to reposition and axis coverage by the midfield).

Conclusion

This 1–1 leaves a sense of incompleteness, but Ilya Zabarnyi's performance remains true to the manual: axis security, measured choices with the foot, and diligence in coverage. To take a step forward against low blocks, Ukraine would benefit from more frequently utilizing its long diagonals and line-breaking passes from the defense — a skill set that Zabarnyi possesses, even if he uses it sparingly. Next step: maintaining this reliability while increasing verticality when the match demands it.

Key Stats – Ilya Zabarnyi

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.